Six long weeks before - as Oasisdweller would put it - a month long party. I can't wait till the middle of September. I've bought all my party hooters, three gross of balloons and party hats a go-go. Happy Holiday cards are sitting in envelopes...YIPPEE!! Are you coming for the party Twin Center? Hod will be desperate to join us. Kisses to all.

I'm simply crushed that I won't be in Morocco for Ramadan this year but I'm off for some cultural sensitivity training. Will you be serving refreshments Dear Steady? If so, will it be before or after sunset?

Bubbly just before f'tour and the usual grog and toddies after. If you send me your e-mail address, I shall make sure you get the nightly video highlights of the frolicking. May well be posting them on You-Tube. You really should try to get back for one night of fancifulness: surely worth the fare.

I've been looking for a course on cultural sensitivity training. Please be so kind as to send me the guff.

The best employer in Casa is undoubtedly the booze section in Acima supermarket. Granted, it's packed all day long with queues of obnoxious yet devout Moroccan men and a few women stocking up on crates of Maghrebi wine and Speciale beer, but you do get to go home at 8pm and don't even need to turn up for work all Ramadan long.

I remember an article in Le Matin in the nineties. It said that as Moroccans were not partakers of the devil’s brew, foreigners were responsible for a consumption of 7.8 litres of alcohol per foreigner, per day. Now I can put away quite a bit but…What sort of discount do you think the cash desk assistants get in the booze section of Acima?

I did actually appreciate the hustle and bustle in the evenings during ramadan...it made a nice change. The daytimes always seemed quite eerie....especially travelling on trains. I remember the internet cafe on Zerktoni (sp?) almost had a nightclub atmosphere during Ramandan evenings, lots of Moroccan's back from the states etc, hanging out....

The first ramadan in Morocco for me came suddenly without much warning, and I was left without alcohol for 5 weeks, with only the option of the Holiday Inn bar at 5 euros a small special beer!

The second one was a different story, a mate and I went on a two week mission to buy up the city's alcohol stocks prior to Ramadan starting. Big rucksacks dragged to each and every Acima, stacked to the brim with fine wines, whisky and beer. My kitchen looked like an off-license to say the least.

Did the stocks last for all of Ramadan? Did they ********...about 2 weeks I reckon, I kept having visitors for some reason, they weren't all Moroccans though, one was from UAE...oh, and a few European expats thrown in.